Thomas Commando
by downtonisthedeathofme
Summary: Jimmy thinks people are starting to notice his close relationship with Thomas. He thinks by asking Ivy out again suspicions will be quelled. Thomas, of course, ensures that Jimmy makes up for leaving him on his own for a whole evening. Originally posted on Ao3
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;""I think I should ask Ivy out again." Jimmy said nervously to Thomas, as they stood outside in the yard./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;""Why?" Thomas replied "Have you gone off me?" He smirked, taking a drag from his cigarette./p  
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;""No of course not, I just think people might be starting to notice."/p  
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;""Well if you didn't take every single opportunity to sit next to me, maybe no one would notice. You could just try being more discrete."/p  
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;""But I don't want to do that." Jimmy smiled, running his hand down Thomas's arm. "I thought if I asked Ivy out again then..." he trailed off, "I'd only take her to the village pub or something like that... so... erm..." Thomas kept a contemplative silence, knowing how much it annoyed Jimmy not to get the attention he wanted. "I'll make it up to you." Jimmy said sweetly, he smiled and stubbed out his cigarette under his shoe./p  
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;""I'll make sure you do." Thomas replied, although he tried to maintain a poker face it was frankly impossible the way Jimmy was smiling at him, he smirked stubbing out his cigarette on the wall behind him before rushing back inside. Jimmy was rather disappointed not to get a quick kiss as had become their custom when it was obvious there was no one else in the yard to see them./p  
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;".../p  
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"Jimmy made sure Thomas wasn't within earshot when he asked Ivy if she'd want to go into the village tomorrow evening; he had already asked Mr Carson, who had rather reluctantly given his consent./p  
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"Of course when he asked Ivy she pretended to coyly think about it and be embarrassed, but she was obviously bubbling over with glee. "I'll have to ask Mrs Patmore of course," she replied./p  
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;""What have you got to ask me?" Mrs Patmore asked, entering the kitchen./p  
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;""Jimmy's asked if I want to go into the village with him tomorrow evening." She said gleefully. Jimmy stood awkwardly ringing his hands as Mrs Patmore looked at him indignantly./p  
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;""Well," Mrs Patmore paused, turning to look at Ivy, who was grinning ear to ear, "as there's no big dinner tomorrow you can go after the family have eaten."/p  
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;""Thank you, Mrs Patmore!" She cried. Jimmy muttered his thanks rather less enthusiastically, but Ivy didn't seem to notice./p  
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"With a winning smile to the kitchen maids, Jimmy left the kitchen to find Thomas outside, smoking. "Did you ask her then?" Thomas said./p  
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;""Yes, we're going out tomorrow evening." Jimmy replied awkwardly./p  
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;""You don't have to worry about making it up to me, I already have a plan." Thomas said with a smirk, going back inside, leaving Jimmy out in the yard. Jimmy usually hated surprises, but he was oddly looking forward to whatever Thomas saw would make up for him taking Ivy out./p  
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;".../p  
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"Jimmy didn't get chance to talk to Thomas alone again that evening, although he did sit next to him whilst they played cards with Alfred who was giving him glowering looks – the news of his date with Ivy had obviously spread./p  
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"Thomas went off to bed first; Jimmy followed about twenty minutes later, stopping to chat with Daisy, and Ivy, who seemed physically unable to tear her eyes away from him, in the kitchen on his way up./p  
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"He knocked quietly on Thomas's door, to no reply. He knocked again, a little louder. Again there was no reply. He gathered this was all part of Thomas's plan to make Jimmy make it up to him; so sulked away to his own room and went to bed./p  
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;".../p  
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"Thomas had heard the knocking, and it had been a real struggle not to answer, but he was pretty sure that it would ruin his plan. After about half an hour he heard Alfred's distinctive gate out in the corridor trail away to his room. A little after that he heard Carson's short few steps to his room, which was at the end of the corridor closest to the stairs. By now it was 11pm, he was surprised at how awake he felt, he waited until midnight before standing up off his bed and putting his plan into action.../p  
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"...five minutes later Thomas returned to his room, victorious, and fell asleep with a smile./p  
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;".../p  
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"Thomas made sure he was down to the servants' hall before Jimmy that morning, although this was never going to be a difficult task as he knew how long Jimmy spent on his hair./p  
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"Thomas settled down to read a book for ten minutes before Jimmy arrived looking rather less composed than usual. Jimmy sat across from Thomas, trying, but failing to catch his eye all through breakfast. It was only as everyone was standing up to leave that Thomas finally looked up at him, smiling./p  
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;""You bastard." Jimmy said with a slight smirk through gritted teeth across the table./p  
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;""I don't know what you mean." Thomas replied, taking his time to walk around the table to join Jimmy./p  
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;""You know bloody well what I mean." Jimmy replied, waiting until everyone else had passed them he pulled Thomas out into the corridor./p  
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"Thomas was glad all his cards games were finally coming to some use, as he maintained a perfect poker face. "Tell me?" He whispered, leaning close to Jimmy./p  
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;""You...you..." Jimmy stammered "you know what you've done..."/p  
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;""Nope." Thomas replied casually./p  
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;""You've stolen all my underwear." Jimmy said quickly./p  
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;""That happened to you too then." Thomas replied, finally breaking face and smiling./p  
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;""You absolute bastard, Mr. Barrow," Jimmy said, a blush spread across his face as he stood looking into the taller man's eyes, "I'm going to be thinking about that all day."/p  
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;""I know." Thomas smirked, walking off to follow Alfred up the stairs, "don't forget your date tonight Jimmy." He called over his shoulder./p  
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"Jimmy was unable to reply, he was both annoyed and turned on by Thomas's antics, but more importantly he didn't know how he was going to survive the whole day. These livery trousers were hardly the most forgiving./p  
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;".../p  
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"Thomas made sure to avoid Jimmy as much as possible throughout the day, because he usually tried to do the exact opposite of this, it was a rather difficult task. Even Mr Carson seemed to notice that he was being a lot more productive than usual, volunteering to do odd jobs that would keep him away from whatever room Jimmy was in./p  
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"Throughout the evenings' dinner Thomas and Jimmy had stood across from each other between courses, Jimmy had looked rather flushed, Thomas even smugger than usually. No one seemed to notice the tension in the air, Alfred was too busy casting Jimmy dark looks at every opportunity, and the family, as usual, were too busy with their own affairs to worry about anyone else's./p  
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"Jimmy sat next to Thomas at the servants' evening meal, sneaking an opportunity to rest his hand on Thomas's leg under the table. He ran his fingertips up Thomas's thigh, tracing faint circles at the top of his leg. "You looking forward to your date, Jimmy?" Thomas smirked, rather reluctantly pushing Jimmy's hand off his leg before he dared to run his fingertips any higher – another few centimetres and he was pretty sure all his attempts to maintain his composure would have failed./p  
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;""Yes, of course I am." Jimmy replied rather too enthusiastically, picking up his knife again./p  
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;""I didn't think you were still interested in her, Jimmy." Alfred said angrily from across the table./p  
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;""Well, I am." Jimmy replied, looking down at his plate./p  
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;".../p  
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"After dinner Jimmy went upstairs to get changed into his street clothes, before going to find Ivy in the kitchen he went outside to find Thomas smoking in the courtyard./p  
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;""You moved just about all my trousers too, you utter..." Jimmy was unable to come up with a suitable word so just stood glowering, slightly uncomfortable in his tightest trousers. "Give us a cigarette," Thomas passed him the one he'd just lit from his own lips, "although, these are a good deal more comfortable than those damn livery trousers, I don't know what they make them out of."/p  
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;""You're telling me," Thomas replied with a smirk, lighting another cigarette "you don't want to be late now." He smiled and took a brief moment to check they were alone in the courtyards before cheekily slapping Jimmy on his tightly-trousered arse./p  
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;""You're going to have to make up for this." Jimmy took a final drag from his cigarette before stubbing it out./p  
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;""And you're going to think about me making up for this all evening..." Thomas replied in sing – song voice, "and, anyway, you're to one that supposed to be paying me back."/p  
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;""You're such a bastard." Jimmy muttered without malice./p  
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;""But I'm your bastard, and you love me for it," he replied with a smile,/p  
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;""'Course I love you." Jimmy replied./p  
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"Thomas smiled, taking a long drag for his cigarette, "Now, like I said, you don't want to be late. People might start to think you don't really want to go on this date after all."/p  
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"Thomas watched Jimmy walk back inside, without some of his usually swagger in his overly tight trousers./p  
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"He finished his cigarette quickly and went inside, just in time to see Jimmy greet a very excited Ivy in the kitchen. "Have fun Jimmy." Thomas smiled as the couple passed him in the corridor./p  
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;""Mrs. Patmore said she doesn't mind what time we get back as long as I'm not late for work in the morning." Thomas heard Ivy say as Jimmy opened the door for her. Although Jimmy replied with an enthusiastic affirmative he cast a pleading look over his shoulder at Thomas, who winked jovially in reply and strode off into the servants' hall./p  
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"He sat down across from Mr and Mrs Bates who were chatting and laughing with each other. Thomas, although he rarely admitted it, even to himself, was still a little jealous of them. They had each other, just like Thomas had Jimmy, but they also had everyone else on their side. Thomas would never have the world on his side. Jimmy would always spend their whole time together half-heartedly trying to keep up appearances, asking every pretty kitchen maid that came along to go into the village with him. Spending his hard earned money and his limited time on nothing more than maintaining other people's impression of him./p  
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;""Are you alright Mr Barrow?" Anna asked from across the table; Thomas suddenly realised that he must have been sat still doing absolutely nothing./p  
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;""Yes, I'm fine, thanks." Thomas replied shortly, taking up the newspaper that was laid out on the table./p  
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;""It'll be awfully quiet this evening, without Jimmy here playing that piano." She said. Thomas was sure Anna was one of the people Jimmy was worried about, she noticed everything./p  
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;""Yes, I suppose so."/p  
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;""I didn't think he was still interested in Ivy." She said casually./p  
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;""Well, he obviously is." Anna didn't say another word to Thomas after this, she had obviously picked up on the tension in Thomas's voice that he was trying rather half-heartedly to hide./p  
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;""Anna, do you think we should head off home now?" Mr Bates said./p  
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;""I'd rather stay, just in case Jimmy buys as many drinks for Ivy as he did last time." Anna smiled as Mr Bates laughed./p  
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;""Oh, I think they've both learnt their lesson," Thomas said, not lifting his eyes from the newspaper, not that he was taking in single word, "and I was in the medical corps if it really comes to it."/p  
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;""I don't think you need a qualification to deal with the effect of drunkenness, Thomas." Mr Bates replied./p  
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;""Well, you'd know all about the effects of drunkenness." Thomas muttered "and it's Mr Barrow to you."/p  
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;""So would you, if you don't remember, Mr Barrow." Bates replied tersely referencing the events of years ago which had found them both suspects and accusers in a case of rather a lot of stolen wine./p  
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;""I think we should get going then, I'm sure Daisy will still be up to get all the gossip when Ivy gets back if she needs anything." Anna said in a slightly forced voice, cutting the bristling tension between her husband and Thomas. They left without another word to Thomas./p  
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"Thomas stayed in the servants' hall, and avoided chatting to anyone by appearing to be particularly engrossed in a news story whenever anyone looked like they were going to sit near him. Of course if anyone had happened to ask him what was going on in the world he wouldn't have had the foggiest idea, barely a word of the text in front of him was going in. His eyes occasionally were drawn to the word 'Kent' in stories about farm production, or the small advertisements for tailors and clothing stores which were crammed in and around the news./p  
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"By around half past ten Thomas was the only person left in the hall, Mr Carson and Mrs Hughes had retired to their respective pantries – Carson to do a little work, Mrs Hughes to gossip with Mrs Patmore, no doubt about Ivy's date. Thinking no one would be in the kitchen, Thomas went to make himself a cup of tea. "Is Jimmy really interested in Ivy, Mr Barrow?" Daisy asked, for a moment Thomas was sure she had appeared out of thin air to accost him, but seeing she was carrying a large bag of flour, he settled on the idea of her having just come out of the pantry./p  
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;""Yes." He replied sharply./p  
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;""He didn't seem very excited, not really, he seemed to me more distracted. Mrs Patmore said 'e was definitely thinking about something else when 'e came to pick Ivy up."/p  
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;""Maybe he was nervous."/p  
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;""No, Jimmy doesn't get nervous, not really." Daisy put down her the bag of flour. "Mrs Patmore said she didn't think his heart was really in it. She said something like his head being in it, but not his heart." Thomas knew Mrs Patmore was much more sensitive than she appeared, much like Anna; she picked up on everything. "I don't know what she's saying 'onestly."/p  
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;""No." Thomas muttered, he decided against making tea and strolled from the kitchen to retake his place at the table in the servants' hall. He sat with a direct view down the corridor where he'd be able to see the door opening./p  
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"Thomas thought it would be fun to think about Jimmy becoming undone on his date thinking about Thomas whilst trying to focus on avoiding awkward silences with Ivy, but really he felt jealous, and alone. He hadn't admitted it to himself yet, but he was jealous of Jimmy. Jimmy could easily settle down anytime he wanted to, or needed to./p  
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"He sat for a while in silent contemplation; the cold of the hall surrounding him as his didn't bother to put any coals on the burner. Whenever he remained in the hall with Jimmy late into the evening, they never bothered to put more coals on the burner, but he never felt cold, not in Jimmy's presence. As much as his rational mind wanted to, he didn't blame the cold on the fact his wasn't wearing any underwear, he blamed it entirely on the fact Jimmy wasn't there. Without Jimmy he felt cold. Without Jimmy he felt incomplete. Without Jimmy he felt like the man he used to be: the man that schemed against Mr Bates for reasons he'd forgotten, the man who'd signed up to the medical corps early because he thought it would be the easy way out, the man who'd allowed Mrs O'Brien to almost beat him, he felt like he's never be brave again whilst Jimmy wasn't there./p  
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"…/p  
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"It was well past half eleven when the door finally twitched open at the end of the corridor. Thomas had gotten through about half a packet of cigarettes in the time he'd sat alone in the hall, he was going to regret that in the next few days as he wouldn't get chance to go into the village to buy more, but it was to only way to effective distract himself from thinking about everything he was without Jimmy./p  
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;""Shhhh…" Ivy said rather exaggeratedly, clattering into the corridor on Jimmy's arm, "I don't want Mrs Patmore to wake up, she told me not to drink too…" she paused visibly searching for the word "…much." Thomas stood up and walked out into the corridor, stubbing out a final cigarette on the way. "Hello, Mr Barrow!" Ivy said jovially./p  
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"Thomas smiled "How many drinks did you buy her, Jimmy?"/p  
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;""Not half as much as I could have," Jimmy whispered, although Ivy didn't seem to notice "I think it was the variety, or something, I dunno." Ivy untwisted her arm from Jimmy's and went, on rather unsteady legs, to sit in the kitchen. Thomas followed, Jimmy followed a step behind./p  
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;""How you feeling Ivy?" Thomas said./p  
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;""Don't tell Mrs Patmore." Was her only reply./p  
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;""No one's going to tell Mrs Patmore."/p  
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;""Daisy said she'd wait up for me." She said, rather unsure about which man she should look at. "She said she'd be in the pantry."/p  
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;""I'll go find her, for you, okay?" Thomas replied. He found Daisy quite quickly, she was restacking some bags of flour and oatmeal, yawning audibly. "Ivy's back, she wants to see you." He said shortly./p  
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;""Is she quite drunk?" Daisy replied bluntly./p  
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;""She'll live, I think you should take her off to bed."/p  
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"Returning to the kitchen, Ivy immediately turned her attentions to Daisy, rather oblivious to Jimmy and Thomas still being there. Daisy quickly took Ivy off to bed, casting Jimmy a dark look, blaming him not just for the fact that Ivy was drunk, but that she'd now have to work extra hard in the morning to cover up how slack Ivy would inevitably be./p  
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;""That was the worse evening I've had for a long time." Jimmy said, sitting down with a sigh, "she was the one that keep saying we should stay a bit longer, I wanted to get out of there. I didn't think anyone could ever have that much to say about nothing at all."/p  
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;""So you won't be taking her out again." Thomas replied shortly./p  
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;""No way, I don't care what people think. I'm not half as brave as you Thomas but I think I can put up with a side glance from Mrs Hughes." He smiled, and stood up walking over to where Thomas was leant up against the large central work surface. "I missed you." He said, wrapping his arms round Thomas's back, "I really missed you. I mean properly, I missed spending an evening with you just chatting."/p  
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;""I missed you too Jimmy." Thomas smiled./p  
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"Jimmy planted a small kiss on his lips, "I missed you in more… erm… physical ways as well. Don't go thinking I've gone completely soft on you."/p  
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;""It's be rather difficult to think that when you're wearing those trousers." Thomas smirked, pushing his leg in between Jimmy's thighs; Thomas kissed Jimmy harder, portraying in a kiss how much he loved him, how much he needed him./p  
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"Jimmy, seemed to understand, kissing him back before pulling away "I love you."/p  
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;""I love you too," Thomas replied "you're the making of me."/p  
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;""I like that," Jimmy smiled, "that makes sense. I think we're the making of each other." He gave Thomas one more small kiss before lowering his voice slightly to say "shall we go upstairs?"/p  
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"…/p  
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"Knowing everyone had already gone to bed Jimmy and Thomas took the rare opportunity to hold hands on the stairs, Jimmy leading the way. Jimmy's hands were still warm as he'd rammed them in to his pockets on the walk home for the village, Thomas's hand was cold from sitting so long in the cool solitude of the servants' hall; the heat passed from Jimmy's hand into Thomas's as they ascended the stairs. Out of habit rather than necessity Thomas make Jimmy stop when the reach the corridor and took a moment to check they were completely alone. He could hear Carson snoring in the room closest to them and the faint murmur of Daisy trying to help Ivy get ready to go to bed all the way at the other end of the corridor in the women's bathroom. He could block out these noises easily enough, focusing on the warmth of Jimmy's hand and the sound of Jimmy's breath; the feeling of his own heart beating in his chest, the pulse running down his arms to his fingertips where he was sure Jimmy would be able to feel the beat entwined with his where their fingers interlocked./p  
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"In agreeable silence they walked down the corridor, Thomas now in the lead, towards Thomas's room. Jimmy didn't let go of Thomas's hand until they were inside the moonlit room with the door bolted behind them where he unknotted his fingers, and wrapped his arms round Thomas's back, locking his hands together and bringeing the taller man in to kiss him. Thomas kissed back, allowing Jimmy to take control, they kissed hard, breathing through their noses and only pulling apart after what felt like forever, but at the same time felt like no time at all. They both kicked off their shoes and socks./p  
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;""I've been waiting for this moment all day," Jimmy said breathily, unlocking his hands and running them up Thomas's arms. He moved his fingertips gracefully up to the lapel of Thomas's livery jacket, he pushed the jacket off Thomas's arms where it pooled like a black shadow on the floor. Then he undid the buttons of Thomas's waistcoat, his fingers shaking slightly. The waistcoat joined the jacket on the floor, and Jimmy pushed Thomas's braces of his shoulders. Jimmy stepped back and took off his own jacket and waistcoat. For a moment the two men stood in their shirt and trousers not touching, but with the air between them bristling with energy – tension, and lust, and love./p  
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"Jimmy, with shaking hands, held Thomas's face pulling him down and towards him to account for the slight height difference, he kissed him. Jimmy secretly enjoyed the fact Thomas was taller than him, stronger than him, and braver than him. He always felt safe when he was with Thomas./p  
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"Jimmy ran his hands down Thomas's back until he reached the waistband of his trousers, he hooked his thumbs in behind the black fabric, feeling only the shirt that was tucked in. He ran his thumb round the waistband until his hand met at the front, he deftly unbuttoned Thomas's trousers. Thomas mirrored this action and unbuttoned Jimmy's trousers before placing his hands on the small of Jimmy's back, just above where the soft fabric of his shirt gave in to the rougher fabric of his trousers. Jimmy kissed Thomas hard, moving his hands onto Thomas's back. Jimmy untucked Thomas's stiff shirt and slightly tentatively slipped his hands behind the waistband of the trousers "you weren't lying then?" he smirked, pulling out of their kiss./p  
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;""I'm a man of my word Jimmy Kent." Thomas smiled, mirroring Jimmy's actions and untucking the younger man's shirt before confidently pushing his hands down behind Jimmy's warm skin and his rough trousers. Even with the buttons undone the fabric was tightly pressing his hands into Jimmy's arse. Jimmy pushed his leg between Thomas's thighs, gently working his hands on his lover's skin, drawing circles with his fingertips. Thomas could feel Jimmy's cock pressed into his hip, the feeling was even more vivid than usual, knowing there was only a two layers of fabric between Jimmy's cock and his skin, where usually there would be double that./p  
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"Thomas used his whole body to push Jimmy against the wall behind him, not breaking their passionate and increasingly inaccurate kisses in the motion. He removed his hands from Jimmy's arse, Jimmy groaned into Thomas's mouth in disappointment. Thomas made quick work of the buttons of Jimmy's shirt. Jimmy, followed Thomas's lead and they broke out of their kiss as he undid Thomas's buttons and bow tie. Their shirts joined the rest of their clothes on the floor./p  
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;""I never get over it." Thomas purred, running his hands over Jimmy's torso./p  
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;""What?" Jimmy whispered with a shiver in his voice and Thomas gently ran his rough finger tips over Jimmy's nipples, which were rather oversensitive after the chaffing they'd endured throughout the day without the protection of an undershirt against the starched front of Jimmy's livery./p  
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;""Just how beautiful you are." Thomas replied, gently planting a kiss on Jimmy's neck. He scraped his teeth gently over the soft skin there, just enough to leave a mark which Jimmy would only just be able to hide under the high collar of his livery shirt in the morning. Thomas worked his way down Jimmy's chest, planting kisses on his skin, leaving another love-bite on his collar bone; soon enough he was on his knees in front of Jimmy, with one hand firmly planted on Jimmy abs pushing him against the wall./p  
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"Jimmy knew where this was going and against the will of his head which was raging with pent up desire, he did what his heart told him to do. "Stop," he said nervously, he continued quickly, he didn't want Thomas to think he was going to be scared away, not now, not after all there was between them 'I want to make it up to you." Thomas got to his feet, allowing Jimmy to move him round and against the wall. The moonlight from the uncovered window made the love-bite on Jimmy neck look darker, like a rose petal against his skin./p  
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"Jimmy wasn't used to taking control, not when he was with Thomas like this. He wasn't really taking control though, he felt they were equal, two halves of the same being – neither half complete without the other./p  
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"Jimmy held Thomas's face in his hands running his fingertips over the scar on his cheek, the scar that should have been on his own cheek. He kissed him gently before moving his lips down Thomas's neck, down his torso. Kissing and licking each of his nipples in turn, which evidently had suffered in the same way Jimmy's had without an undershirt. Thomas was quietly moaning at Jimmy's touch, Jimmy always enjoyed the way he could make Thomas become so undone so quickly./p  
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"He knelt in front of Thomas, one hand on Thomas's hip to steady himself. He pushed down Thomas's livery trousers, the weight of the braces which were still connected to them pulled them down to the floor. "You don't have to…" Thomas began to protest, but was cut short as Jimmy took his erection in his free hand and gentle ran his fingers up and down the length of it before running his thumb over the tip. Thomas was unsure whether to look down or close his eyes, he was pretty sure that looking down would only tip him over the edge faster so decided to close his eyes, but quickly opened them again as he felt Jimmy tentatively run his tongue over the head of his dick. Thomas gasped as Jimmy took his cock into his mouth. Taking it slowly, with the memory of the last time Thomas had done this to him Jimmy started rhythmically to move his mouth, taking almost half of Thomas's length before pulling back, allowing his tongue to drag along the underside./p  
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"Thomas with rather a lot of effort had kept his hands firmly against the wall, but as Jimmy became more confident, he entwined the fingers of his uninjured hand into Jimmy's golden hair. Jimmy took this as encouragement that he was doing everything right, although the stifled moans that Thomas was emitting had already given him a pretty good idea. Jimmy soon found no need to work his hand on the remaining part of Thomas's length; Thomas groaned and shut his eyes tight when it he felt his cock hit the back of Jimmy's throat, he knew he wouldn't last much longer but he wanted to prolong this felling of heaven for as long as possible./p  
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"The familiar heat started to build up quickly spreading from the base of his cock and through his body like a forest fire, "Jimmy I'm going to…" Thomas managed to stutter, before giving completely into pleasure./p  
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"Jimmy, not sure whether he'd intended to or not when he first set out on this task, swallowed every drop. He released Thomas's cock just a little too early, the final drops falling on his chin./p  
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"Thomas's knees literally buckled; the two men were now both knelt on the floor together. Thomas pulled Jimmy's face close to his and kissed him feverishly, tasting himself in Jimmy's mouth. He pushed at Jimmy's waistband, finally freeing his straining erection from the confines of the tight fabric. It took only moments of Thomas's well-practiced hand movements on Jimmy's cock before Jimmy, with all the built of frustration of the day, came all over Thomas's hand and abdomen./p  
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"Finally breaking away from the kiss, they collapsed on to the hard wooden floorboards, both men oblivious to the discomfort of the rough wood beneath their skin as they lay without a sound, their breathing perfectly in unison./p  
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;""I love you." Jimmy said after a while "I love you so much."/p  
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;""I love you too Jimmy." Thomas smiled./p  
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;""I'm never going to ask Ivy about again, I missed you too much," Jimmy said planting a lazy kiss on Thomas's forehead "can I stay the night?"/p  
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;""Well, as I have most of your clothes in my room I think you better." Thomas smirked, getting to his feet and pulling Jimmy up with him. Jimmy stepped out of his trousers (with a little difficulty) and watched as Thomas wiped himself down with a washcloth, before wiping Jimmy down as well and leading him over to the small bed where there curled under the covers, their bodies perfectly interlocked and their faces pressed together lightly./p 


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